Process and apparatus for producing carbon black



Feb. 8 1927.- I

- c. MATLQCK PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING CARBON BLACK Filed NOV. 16. 1921 .-1 TTORNEYI.

tion of carbon black by the artial combus- Patented Felpa 8, 1927.

UNITED- STATE :r m-" "{omen OHA'UNCEY .m'rmcm or mw YORK-11;. 1., assr'euon, ro- Roma-Louisiana CARBON COMPANY, OF MONROE, LOUISIANA, A- CORPORATION: 01! DELAWARE.

rnocnss am arranarus ron rnonucme cannon amok.

Application filed November 16, 1921.. sei-ial lio. 515,674.

The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for producing carbon black and more'particularly to an improved furnace and burner construction for the production of natural gas hydrocar ons.

In the production of'carbon black from natural gas it has been customary heretofore to dissociate and set free. the carbon from the hydrocarbons by burning the gas in a number of small flames to which the entrance of air for supporting combustion is imperfect and in which the artial combustion may be checked by inserting in the flames a cool or chilled plate or surface. A portion of the carbon of the hydrocarbons is therefore set free and collects on the plate or may passout of the flame without being oxidized and-is thereafter separated from the gaseous products of combustion and collected in any suitable manner. The partial oxidation of the hydrocarbon gases may be carried on more eificiently and with a greater production of carbon in closed chambers or furnaces in which the supply of air and theother conditions of oxidation may be carefully regulated or adjusted. Difliculty is, however, sometimes experienced in the pro- Another object of the invention'is to rovide a method or process of. burning hv roc'arbons for the production of carbon black in which the gas is protected from preheating by the'burning gases in the furnace.

Among other objects of the invention is to provide a burner particularly adapted for use in the 'roduction of carbon black and which may be readily removed from and inserted in a carbon black furnace while the furnace is in operation.

With theseand other objects in view the invention comprises the process and apparatus described and ,set forth in the following specification and'claims. p

The various features of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross sectionalelevationof a. carbon black furnace embodying a form of the invention, the burners being shown on a somewhat enlarged or magnified scale with relation to the other part of the furnace to more clearly bring out their construction,

and, a j h Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view similar to that ofFig. 1 showing a modified form of burner.

In the {present invention the hydrocarbon gas isin roduced into the lower part of a combustion furnace and distributed .by means of a number ofburners-L Air for supcarbons is also introduced below, or at approximately the same height in the furnace as the burners, and mixes with the hydrocarbon gases and burns with them above the burners. The hydrocarbons are protected from preheating and partial or complete dissociation in the burners by covering the burners and the connecting burner pipes with a cool .porting the partial combustion of the hydroing jacket through which water or other cooling fluid may be circulated. Through this arrangement the entire. reaction by which the carbon is liberated takes place above the burners and without being disturbed byv uncontrolled reactions; in the burners and burner pipes. The fcooling jackets do not however, contact directly with the'burning gases or flame in the upper part of the furnace and do not check this combustion as in the older, chill plate processes, the gases bein removed from the upper part of the f chilled. In'a modified type of theburner and connecting pipes the openings in the furnace through which the burner pipes urnace' without being pass, and the construction of the burner itself is so arranged that any individual burner may be removed while the furnace is in operation without sto ping the operation of.

the furnace and coo ing the furnace and burner.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings the hydrocarbon gases from which carbon is to be liberated are supplied frame ga s pp y P pe 10 thro h a controlling valve 12.to a burner pipe14 extending into a furnace 15 and issue in separate streams through upright burners 16 and "18. Air'for supporting the combustion of the hydrocarbons .is supplied from an air supply pipe 20 through an. opening 22 below the burners 16 and 18 and mixes with the gas -jets or flames 24 above the burners.

The main con ibustion-ofthe gases takes place in the upper part '26 of the furnace without being influenced by any chilling ac- ,tion other than that caused by downward and 18 project. ter; steam, air, or other comparatively cool radiation. The hot products of combustion and the .liberated carbonare removed through an outlet pipe ,28 toany suitable separating device. I r

Some heat is. however, radiated downwardly from the upper part of, the furnace to the pipe 14 and the burners 16- and 18, the main portion of theheat' being received by the pipe 14, To maintain the pipe 14 and the gases flowing therethrough below a cracking or dissociating temperature the pipe is surrounded and enclosed by a cooling jacket 30 through which the burners 16 A cooling fluid such as wafluid "is supplied to the jacket through a-sup ply pipe 32 and is delivered to the extreme end of the jacket by means of an inner conduit'or' tube 34. From the outlet end of the tube 34 thecooling fluid passe'sbetween the walls of the jacket *3) and the outer surface of the pipe 14 to an outlet opening or draw off ipe 36. Through this arrangement-the hy rocarbon gases are delivered from the burners 16 and 18 without being decomposed or otherwise altered. and in a condition in which they may be readily oxidized. Ordinarily it is not necessary to extend the wa,

ter jacket to the outlets of the .burners.16

-and 18 although" this may done where desirable.

In the modification shown in Fig. 2 a type of burner is illustrated which may be readily and quickly inserted into and removed from the furnace without disturbing the furnace istructuregand therefore without the necess ty of cooling the furnace. In this arrangement each .burnerhas an individual supply pipe: 38,extending through an open-. ing 40' an thewall; of they-furnace- 78 and turned upwardly through a quarter turn into the outlet or. nozz e portion 42. The

'burnerpip'e 38; is surrounded by a cooling jacket 44 which is similarly curved upwardly for substantially 'a quarter 'turn. The cooling jacket'is provided with an inlet pipe -46 and a distributing tube 48 similar tothe tube 34 of the modification shown in Fig The burner pipe and jacket 44 are connected to the supply main -10 by means of a flanged union '50 which permits the burner to be readily disconnected from the; supply pipe, "the supply of gas bein g,

. furnace.

claimed and desired to'be ing'a horizontal portion; an upright portion shut. off by a suitable valve not shown. When the burner andthejacket 44 are dis; connected from the supply pipe 10 and-the. water supply pipe 46'the'burne'r may be withdrawn 7 through the .;open-ing;4(l until the curved portion reaches-theinner. wall of the To Withdraw the upright and curved portion the burner. and its jacket need only be. swung upwardly f permitting "the curved portion "of "the"jacket""'to"pass through theopening withoutthe necessity of providing an opening larger than the outside diametenof the jacket. The furs nace is provided with a support 52 extending from the floor thereof to .thealcur'v ed I portion of the burner and serving to: hold' .the burner in .its proper position without depending upon its for thispurpose. v

The burnerjshown in :Fig. 1 may also. be disconnected from thesupply pipes 10 and 32 by connecting it to these-pipes-through fitting the. opening- 40 .flanged unions 54 and 56 "respectively but caused by the premature heating and decomposition (ofhydrocarbons in the burners is also avoided and a much smoother working ofb 1the process and apparatus is made pos si e.

Having described the inventio n what is Secured byLetters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for producing carbonblack which-comprises a furnace arranged to I admit an insuflicient supply of air for complete combustion, openlngs'm said furnace for the insertion of burners and burners havand a curved connecting portion adapted to 1 permit said Tburners to becinserted, and re-- moved through said openings. 2. An apparatus for producingv carbon black which comprises a furnace, burner openings in'said furnace,v said openings hav- 1 ing a bevelled edge and burners having :a--- horizontal portion, an upright portion and a' curved connecting portion arranged to permit said burners to be inserted and removed through said'openings.

3. An apparatus for producing carbon black which comprises a fumace' having openings in its lower part for the insertion o burners, an air supply opening positioned 1 l we than s i s. as?! burners having an entering portion, an upright portion and a curved connecting portion arranged 'to permit the insertion and removal of said burners into said furnace.

4. An apparatus for producing carbon black which comprises a furnace having a number of burner openings, burners having an entering portion and an upwardly curved portion Within said furnace to direct the gas supply substantially upwardly and supports within said furnace adapted to support the portion of said burners within said furnace.

5. A process of producing carbon black which comprises supplying a stream of gaseous hydrocarbons to a furnace, supplying air in quantities insufficient for complete combustion to said furnace, burning said hydrocarbons with said insuflicient air supply while maintaining the base of said hydrocarbon gaseous stream at non-carbonizing temperatures and removing the products of combustion from the furnace;

'6. Aprocess of producing carbon black which comprises supplying a stream of gaseous hydrocarbon to a furnace; supplying air to said furnace in quantities insufficient for complete combustion; burning said hydrocarbon with said insufficient air supply shielding said hydrocarbons from heating until exposed to said air supply; removing the products of combustion from the furnace; and finally separating the freed carbon from the removed gases.

7. That process of producing carbon black which consists in supplying a stream of gaseous hydrocarbons to a furnace at temperatures below that at which carbonization or decomposition takes place; supplying air in quantities insufficient for complete combustion to said furnace; burning said hydrocarbon with said insuflicient air supply; shielding said hydrocarbons from heating by said combustion until brought into contact with said air; removing the products of combustion from the furnace; and separating the freed carbon from the removed gases. I

8. That process of producing carbon black which consists in supplying a stream of relatively cool hydrocarbon gases to a closed furnace; supplying air in quantities insufficient for complete combustion to said furnace; burning said hydrocarbon with said insufficient air supply -surrounding said stream of hydrocarbons with a cooling -medium until exposed to mixture with said air; and separating the freed carbon from the burned gases. 9. The process of producing carbon blac which consists in supplying a stream of relatively cool gaseous hydrocarbons to a closed furnace; supplying air in quantities insuflicient for com lete combustion at a point below said by rocarbon stream; burning the hydrocarbon with said insuflicient air supply shielding said stream of hydrocarbons from the heat of combustion in said furnace until released for mixture with said In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHAUNCEY MATLOGK. 

